1. The Season 46 Ultimus and Ultimini have officially come to an end. Congratulations to the the Dallas Birddogs and Arizona Outlaws for each winning their respective championships. How did each of the finalists in either the Ultimus or Ultimini arrive at the playoffs? Were there any teams that surprised or disappointed during the playoffs? Did the outcome of either championship game surprise you at all?
Arizona is back on top. After three postseasons where they came back empty-handed, the Arizona Outlaws claimed their 9th Ultimus in franchise history. For some Outlaws, this was their first, and for others, their second or even a third or a fourth. It was an emotional moment for everyone regardless because after all, who gets tired of winning?
General Manager Kotasa retires on a high note-perhaps the highest note, of his storied career. The architects of current day Arizona-Simo, lemonoppy, and of course, the aforementioned Kotasa, have done a fantastic job reconstructing the team without tanking. In my offseason task article I'll be taking a closer look at the Outlaws road to glory in its entirety meaning, not only will I be looking at this year's games, but also examining some of the crucial moves they made since their last title.
Draft Moves
In the seasons following their S42 Championship, the Arizona FO had one big problem. Father Time. With several star players retiring every season(L.Blondin, B.Stinkwater, L.McTurtle, D.Rodman to name a few), they had to get replacements fast. Some were already on the roster(B.Aguilera at wide receiver and B.Duvernay at cornerback) but they needed more. They wisely decided to look towards the draft. They drafted wide receiver T.Sutha with the first pick in the S43 draft(via NOLA) and snagged wide receiver J.Bamford in the S44 draft. They also picked up cornerback P.Dosza to fill the hole at cornerback after O.Sicko and S.O'Dopaliscious retired. All of these players turned out to be slam dunk picks. Aguilera blossomed into a bona fide WR1 and Bamford and Sutha are engaged in a friendly competition for the WR2 spot. The receiving trio had 26 touchdowns on the season and was a big reason why the Outlaws offense was a lot more consistent and explosive compared to seasons past. Dosza and Duvernay are not the most flashy have been extremely reliable and clutch(see: Duvernay's pick against Austin in the ASFC Championship game)
Free Agency Acquisitions
Free agency can seem like a barren wasteland in the ISFL. Not many players are keen to move teams and there have been, as far as I know, several suggestions on how to improve the FA period. But that's a topic for another time. Free agency isn't the most exciting but sometimes, there are some hidden gems if you know where to look. Bertie Mannering-Phipps was one of them. BMP was a perfectly fine running back who may or may not have been unsettled in Baltimore and decided to find a new home. I believe the AZ FO had been looking for a complementary running back for Danny Nedelko ever since Sherwin Blue Jr. swapped to linebacker(a very smart move imo) and this was their chance. Kotasa and lemonoppy swopped in and secured BMP to a three year, 9 million dollar deal. While BMP was very efficient in the regular season, I believe he proved his true value in the playoffs. 111 yards and 3 touchdowns in the ASFC Championship game, and 114 yards and a very crucial touchdown in the Ultimus. He's valuable both in the run and passing game, and I think he adds an extra level to the offense.
Contract Extensions
Yes, this section is me giving myself a pat on the back. The Outlaws have done a great job retaining their players over the time period. None have left in free agency as far as I know. Is it the winning culture? The locker room vibes? Or very persuasive GMs perhaps? Either way, it's working. Among several contract extensions was Brian Vincent-Vega who signed a lifetime deal two off seasons ago. Brian Vincent-Vega has been a solid starter at strong safety for five seasons now and in my unbiased opinion, Outlaws did a great job retaining him. Every championship team needs a Derek Fisher. A Robert Horry. A Julian Edelman. A guy who knows his role and knows what it's like to win. Brian Vincent-Vega is that guy. His play kind of dropped off towards the end of the season but he's got a season or two in him before he really regresses.
With a healthy mix of veterans and exciting prospects, the future of Arizona is as bright as ever.
706 WOrds
Arizona is back on top. After three postseasons where they came back empty-handed, the Arizona Outlaws claimed their 9th Ultimus in franchise history. For some Outlaws, this was their first, and for others, their second or even a third or a fourth. It was an emotional moment for everyone regardless because after all, who gets tired of winning?
General Manager Kotasa retires on a high note-perhaps the highest note, of his storied career. The architects of current day Arizona-Simo, lemonoppy, and of course, the aforementioned Kotasa, have done a fantastic job reconstructing the team without tanking. In my offseason task article I'll be taking a closer look at the Outlaws road to glory in its entirety meaning, not only will I be looking at this year's games, but also examining some of the crucial moves they made since their last title.
Draft Moves
In the seasons following their S42 Championship, the Arizona FO had one big problem. Father Time. With several star players retiring every season(L.Blondin, B.Stinkwater, L.McTurtle, D.Rodman to name a few), they had to get replacements fast. Some were already on the roster(B.Aguilera at wide receiver and B.Duvernay at cornerback) but they needed more. They wisely decided to look towards the draft. They drafted wide receiver T.Sutha with the first pick in the S43 draft(via NOLA) and snagged wide receiver J.Bamford in the S44 draft. They also picked up cornerback P.Dosza to fill the hole at cornerback after O.Sicko and S.O'Dopaliscious retired. All of these players turned out to be slam dunk picks. Aguilera blossomed into a bona fide WR1 and Bamford and Sutha are engaged in a friendly competition for the WR2 spot. The receiving trio had 26 touchdowns on the season and was a big reason why the Outlaws offense was a lot more consistent and explosive compared to seasons past. Dosza and Duvernay are not the most flashy have been extremely reliable and clutch(see: Duvernay's pick against Austin in the ASFC Championship game)
Free Agency Acquisitions
Free agency can seem like a barren wasteland in the ISFL. Not many players are keen to move teams and there have been, as far as I know, several suggestions on how to improve the FA period. But that's a topic for another time. Free agency isn't the most exciting but sometimes, there are some hidden gems if you know where to look. Bertie Mannering-Phipps was one of them. BMP was a perfectly fine running back who may or may not have been unsettled in Baltimore and decided to find a new home. I believe the AZ FO had been looking for a complementary running back for Danny Nedelko ever since Sherwin Blue Jr. swapped to linebacker(a very smart move imo) and this was their chance. Kotasa and lemonoppy swopped in and secured BMP to a three year, 9 million dollar deal. While BMP was very efficient in the regular season, I believe he proved his true value in the playoffs. 111 yards and 3 touchdowns in the ASFC Championship game, and 114 yards and a very crucial touchdown in the Ultimus. He's valuable both in the run and passing game, and I think he adds an extra level to the offense.
Contract Extensions
Yes, this section is me giving myself a pat on the back. The Outlaws have done a great job retaining their players over the time period. None have left in free agency as far as I know. Is it the winning culture? The locker room vibes? Or very persuasive GMs perhaps? Either way, it's working. Among several contract extensions was Brian Vincent-Vega who signed a lifetime deal two off seasons ago. Brian Vincent-Vega has been a solid starter at strong safety for five seasons now and in my unbiased opinion, Outlaws did a great job retaining him. Every championship team needs a Derek Fisher. A Robert Horry. A Julian Edelman. A guy who knows his role and knows what it's like to win. Brian Vincent-Vega is that guy. His play kind of dropped off towards the end of the season but he's got a season or two in him before he really regresses.
With a healthy mix of veterans and exciting prospects, the future of Arizona is as bright as ever.
706 WOrds